Page 26 - Worcestershire SuDS DESIGN & EVALUATION
P. 26
6.0 Local SuDS requirements for
Local SuDS requirements
Worcestershire
Landscape Character beneath much of Wyre Forest District, the
west of Bromsgrove District and small parts
The county of Worcestershire covers 1741km2 of Wychavon and Malvern Hills Districts and a
and has a population estimated at around minor aquifer due to the presence of Lower
557,000 in six administration districts. In Old Red Sandstone beneath the western part
mid-2010, the population split was estimated of the Malvern Hills. The majority of the main
at 70.4% in urban area and 29.6% in rural rivers corridors are underlain by drift geology
areas. The county benefits from a wide range (silts and gravels) with the associated risk of
of rural and urban landscapes which have perched groundwater accumulations.
differing effects on flood risk.
There are approximately 114 Sites of Special
Worcestershire is a predominantly rural Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in Worcestershire
county with a population centred around the and 2 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
main urban areas of Worcester, In addition there are approximately 553 Local
Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Redditch, Wildlife Sites (areas of nature conservation
Evesham, Droitwich Spa, Stourport-on- interest which are of county importance).
Severn, Upton-on-Severn, Pershore and Great Elements of the county’s historic
Malvern. There are also numerous other
21 smaller towns, villages and scattered rural environment are also designated and there
communities. are many listed buildings which are grades 1.
2 and 2*.
The county is drained almost entirely by the There is a long history of flooding in
River Severn, which flows through the centre Worcestershire and whilst media coverage
of Worcestershire from the north to the focuses on the main river flooding in towns
south. The majority of the county is of gentle such as Bewdley, Worcester, Upton-upon-
topography, forming part of the broad River Severn and Evesham, the majority of flood
Severn basin, with the notable exceptions of risk is from surface water and the extensive
the Malvern Hills, the Wyre Forest to the west network of smaller ‘ordinary’ watercourses.
of Kidderminster, the north Worcestershire This was clearly illustrated during the severe
Hills and the Cotswold outlier of Bredon Hill summer flood events in 2007 when locally
in Wychavon.
and nationally over two thirds of the
The south of the county is largely underlain impacted properties were flooded by surface
by impermeable Lower Lias clay and Triassic water.
mudstones. By contrast, the north of the
county includes: a major aquifer due to the
presence of Permian and Triassic sandstones
Worcestershire County Council SuDS D & E Guide © 2018 McCloy Consulting & Robert Bray Associates
